Om Says

Micro manufacturing, Thomas Piketty, fascism in Europe and robots — you know they are all tied together, somehow. Plus Cory Booker and Mark Zuckerberg, Nintendo and John Maeda — we got a great weekend of reading ready for you.

The Americans love affair with technology, Chicago’s last tannery, marathon people, city services 2.0, hipsters & low-tech, the end of the middle class and the Ukraine crisis — here is what I think is worth reading this week.

Sotheby’s troubles, $1000 Genome, Silver Thief is on the loose, A food site breaks up with Facebook, what are the technical textiles of tomorrow and the sexiest dog in Chicago are among this week’s recommendations.

Silence as a luxury; the end of rhinos and the price we will pay; outsourcing humanity; the unkindness of aging; Tutankhamun’s blood; and a conversation with genetics giant and Nobel Laureate Sydney Brenner — are on the menu this week.

Suzanne Vega, Rupert Murdoch’s broken marriage, Silicon Valley’s circus of innovation, Tom Steyer, the inconvenient billionaire; South Sudan’s old enmities and Facebook’s plan to conquer the world — some of the stories on menu this weekend.

Who is Jimmy Fallon, Presidency outsourced, everything that is wrong with Donald Trump, why do we hate Google buses, the last days of Ambercombie & yet another Texas politician who is ambitious. These and more stories are on reading menu this week.

What is it to be a model in China, Big data and big pharma equals big money, how Iceland got its mojo back, why does everyone love toast, the White ghetto and the joy of unfollowing — some of the stories on menu this weekend.

One in 19 people in this world have diabetes. Many of them are poor, live outside of the US and have access to very little resources, both financial and medical. I question the wisdom of Google chasing the smart contact lens instead of something more pragmatic.

The Don King is done; what does a mid-level bookie have to do to make a living; Intelligent plants and why TED is not the answer and why and how to deal with depression of a connected mind. Great words start to 2014.

Can we build a brand new American energy system, the future of computer science, what Paul Krugman thinks of Bitcoins, a Californian chef in Copenhagen, President Obama and climate change — that’s the menu for this week.

How iPhones make anorexia worse; Bitcoin and political ideology; the David and Goliath equation; the 1200 year old phone; resurgence of al-Qaida and New York’s attempt to become a tech-hub — these are some of the stories on the menu this weekend.

Beyonce has scored a major coup with her newest album, which was released exclusively on iTunes and sold nearly 830,000 copies in three days. It also is a sign of the times and an apt epitaph of the physical media.

Selfies, Selfies and more selfies: so much so it is the word of the year and in order to celebrate and understand the concept of selfie, I decided to curate seven of the best pieces I have read around selfies.

The story of a refugee Armenian family fleeing Syria, Jonathan Franzen, Funny math of clothing sizes, Facebook Feminism and Sheryl Sandberg, Paul Krugman on Climate Change and why have young people stopped having sex in Japan — these plus chess are on menu this weekend.

On the menu this week: A profile of The Guardian editor Alan Rusbridger, Lewis Lapham on selling death, where is Hemingway and the Return of warlords. Plus some fun lessons about reputation, saying NO and why making money is easy for bankers.

Hugh Laurie, Mindy Kaling, bullshit jobs, the magical powers of metadata, and the story of Punjabi Sikh-Mexican American community fading into history, what past locations can tell us about where we will be in the future and good death? All in the mix this week!

Yahoo’s stock has been on a tear and its chief executive has graced the cover of BusinessWeek and the pages of Vogue. Its product re-launches have gotten Bieberesque attention. Yahoo loyalists are celebrating. I think they are wrong; here is why.

Is New York only for successful and what is the value of the unknown? What does tungsten have to do with smartphones and can orange be saved if we change its DNA? Tony Soprano of tomatoes, art phonies and the great guns: Now that a mix!

Rise of internet-enabled cut-and-paste fashion, men’s insults from across the Atlantic, San Francisco’s busyness, Jim Rodgers, rise of predictive policing and smart cities — those are some of the topics on the menu this week.

On menu this week: Amar Bose and his genius, what’s up with selfies, Microsoft wants to be hip again, and there is a sports channel bubble, in case you noticed. Of course there is some discussion about American journalism and changing San Francisco.

Shinola watches, reinventing a feed reader, how apps featured on the App Store fare, the risky business of war reporting and of course, the riskiest business of being a solider — these are some stories featured in this week’s recommended reading list.

On the menu this weekend: the cyberwar between US and Iran has gone online and Michael Gross has the details; war through women’s eyes; The Great Gatsby, Babe Ruth and Yellow Fever. Plus are coders worth it?

Google Glass backlash, a model, a professor and a suitcase full of cash, forever blue jeans, probiotics, what is design thinking in school, and what air travel was supposed to be in the future — these are some stories on menu for this weekend.

The insomnia plague, the 1,000 mile Yukon Quest dog sled race, Lululemon fans, 3D-printed meat, rise of the well-dressed man, the new new social science, and why do we laugh when people fall — those are stories in the mix for this weekend.

You might have noticed that there is an active debate around the future of freelance journalism in a digital-first world. As a digital writer & founder of a digital-only media company, I have my own twist on this tale. Have a read.

Design trends for 2013, dementia, mobile photography boom, the rise of Tide as the currency for drugs, Lena Dunham is back, and a look back at time when CES was actually cool — those are some of the topics in this week’s newsletter.

Welcome to a new year — a new year of great stories to read on your weekends. This week we got a pickpocket, Jerry Seinfeld, getting around the globe, quest for perfect bowling score, machine learning for normals and how to keep your new year resolutions.

An ode to the Delhi gang-rape victim, iTunes as a discovery service, what science stories to watch for in 2013, the rise of Snapchat, robots everywhere, manly origins of cheerleading, history of the GIF in video and web-UX trends of 2012.

Getting Bin Laden, the future of special ops, the art of time, bursting of the art bubble, the science of light, and what friendship means in the age of social media are some of the stories that are on deck for this last collection from 2012.

Thanksgiving, shopping, social — boy aren’t we overwhelmed by all the clamor. It is time to make sense of it all. Why Verizon doesn’t get social. 10 Gbps broadband. Where is MOG founder going? And GE CEO Jeff Immelt is all crazy about the Industrial Internet.

A bootlegger and a gun merchant go to war, the New York Subway is punished by Sandy but bounces back quickly, the curse of multitasking, the business of minor league baseball and sugar, the silent killer — these are some of the stories to read this weekend.

What a week in tech – the new iPad Mini and Microsoft Surface. And more is yet to come. Perhaps that is why you need a dose of non-tech refresh this weekend, so here are some pieces about Euro car crisis, Rio and Frank Sintara.

This is a potpourri of subjects — from Salman Rushdie to the business of tacos. If that doesn’t get you interested, then how about Homeland’s CIA connection, the little fish that can save the Atlantic Ocean, karma and the road to nowhere, a one-eyed matador, and Williamsburg.

Had enough of the iPhone5? Well there is nothing here except chess, the Chinese economy, rotary dials, a word epidemic, petabytes, zettabytes and yottabytes. All of it crammed into seven stories that you gotta read this weekend. Plus, an homage to Bill Moggridge.

Wow… the summer ended pretty quickly and reality of technology news cycle caught up really fast with me. Apple rumors, Kindle Fires … and that was during the first short week of September. Here are some posts that you can savor as you laze around this weekend.

It is a long weekend in the United States and that means perfect opportunity to catch up on some great articles. Here are seven of my favorites from this week that cover Lance Armstrong, Burning Man, Academic startups and the Library. Hope you enjoy them.

And I am back: after a week’s hiatus from the newsletter, I resumed my online reading and have put together a short list of articles for you to read this weekend. There is a little too much Internet stuff this week, but it’s all good. Enjoy.

Gore Vidal, a preeminent American writer, passed away this week. In his honor I have cobbled together some essential reading about the great writer. Of course, there are some other articles that would make perfect summer reading too. Hope you enjoy these.

It has been one of the most hectic weeks. We had earnings from tech stalwarts, we saw the release of the latest Apple OS X. And Google launched Google Fiber. I am actually surprised that I got any reading done this week. Here’s my recommended list.

Given that we are in the middle of summer, it’s not a surprise that many writers are actually taking the opportunity to step away from the computer. As a result, I had to look further to find the stories that might be worth your time.

I have spent my past week away from the city crowds on a quiet beach in Northern California, trying to catch up on reading and walking and, more importantly, thinking. So this week’s recommended reading list is a lot more eclectic. Hope you enjoy.

As you might know, I am on a bit of a “staycation.” As a result, I am spending less time in front of the computer. However, I do read a lot these days — both on and offline. Here are some stories you might find enjoyable.

It was a busy week around our offices. You might have heard that we hosted our Structure 2012 conference. Nevertheless, between all the talk of clouds, SDNs and big data, I did manage to read some good articles and wanted to share those with you.

This is going to be a busy weekend for me. While the weather in San Francisco threatens to be “summer-like,” I am going to be sitting at home and preparing for our Structure 2012 conference. Here are 7 stories that might be worth reading this weekend.

The summer is here and, if you are like me, you want to spend all of your weekend outside, enjoying the sunshine. I, for one, will read a book or two. That said, here are seven stories that might be good reading for you.

It has been a slow week because I have been nursing a flu that has knocked me out completely. Nevertheless, it gave me an opportunity to do some reading and think about the world at large. Here are seven stories for you to read this weekend.

And one more time, I find myself sitting on a flight back from New York, working on the most important thing I do at the end of the week: pick seven stories (out of dozens) for you to read. Hope you enjoy them.

Has Facebook fatigue set in? Are you sick and tired of seeing Mark Zuckerberg’s face all the time on blogs, in newspapers and on television? Relax, I have some good reading material for you and it doesn’t have anything to do with Facebook.

It is going to be a beautiful weekend in San Francisco and I plan to spend most of it outdoors. And during that time, I don’t plan to bother with working. And you shouldn’t either. However, you should read these seven pieces whenever you get sometime.

I have to admit, being in New York, there is little or no chance I am opening my computer this weekend. However, for you I have put together this list of stories to read over the weekend. Hope you enjoy them.

It has been a crazy busy week for me and my reading list was much longer that normal. I have culled the seven best pieces for you to read and enjoy this weekend. Some of them might have lessons for all of us.

It is supposed to be a pretty wonderful weekend around here, so I don’t plan on getting in front of the computer much. I hope you spend time enjoying yourself as well. Still, here are some stories I found that are worth reading.

This week’s group of articles reflect the change that technology is bringing upon society in general and the Internet, specifically. It also reflects some of the many things I am contemplating these days. Hope you enjoy them.

What a busy week. I spent most of the week at the GigaOM East offices in New York City. I was busy, but still had enough time to read some of my favorite sources and curate these seven links for you folks to read this weekend.

Oh boy! What a dreary long and rainy weekend in San Francisco. In rest of the country, not so much. Here are some stories I think might be worth reading – mostly because it is the weekend. There is no specific theme this week. Just great stuff.

It has been almost a month since I penned one of these. I was away visiting my family and as such decided to leave the computer behind. I am back to regular programming. So here are some of the awesome stories I have read in recent days for your pleasure.

Don’t get mad at me for not finding seven stories for you to read. I have been distracted and as a result I have not been able to spend as much time reading as I normally do. Regardless, here is an abbreviated recommendation list.

There is a lot of talk about data, 3D printing, innovation, design, user interaction and curation. So this week’s theme is a collection of writing that questions conventional wisdom about these aforementioned themes. Most of them are long — so better get a cup of tea now.

It is a rainy and soggy weekend in San Francisco. The gloomy skies make me want to go in the opposite direction and offer up some lighter fare for the readers while I return to my brooding. Have a great weekend, everyone.

The Internet seems to have put 2011 and the holidays behind it. This was an unusually busy week, and the content that flows to me saw a big jump. Here are some stories for you to read. Hope you enjoy them as much as I did.

Today just happens to be the four-year anniversary of a hiccup that redefined my life and made me think differently about how I live, how I create, what I consume and how I approach work. Here are some observations (not lessons) from the past four years.

Taking uber-investor Mike Moritz’s advice from GigaOM RoadMap, I am dusting off my boots, unpacking my winter coat and getting ready for a trip to some of the newest, hottest startup hubs in the world. Here’s how you can follow my journey.

Thanksgiving gave me an opportunity to take a much needed break last week. And that meant skipping story recommendations as well. I am making amends now, so I have taken two weeks worth of reading materials and sorted them into seven must read links.

Our GigaOM RoadMap conference left me exhausted and keep me so busy that I didn’t get a chance to do much reading. So, I skipped recommending any links last week. Time to make amends! Here are some fresh links for this weekend’s reading pleasure.

The chilly weather is here, and that means all of us have a little more time to sit at home and read and, of course, enjoy time with the family. To supplement your newspaper, here are seven of my recommendations.

Wow! Was that week chock-full of news or what? Frankly, sometimes it was hard to remember what was happening. Nevertheless, here are some good and mind-nourishing pieces for the weekend that you can actually enjoy and learn from.

When it comes to the phone business, there is no doubt that Apple vs Google makes a great headline. After all, who doesn’t like the battle of pachyderms. In fact it is about Apple and Google versus phones with the 12 key pads.

It has been a tough week. The loss of one of technology industry’s icons has weighed heavily on me and as a result I am slow in sharing some posts and stories I found worth reading and thinking about. Hope you find time to read/enjoy them.

Back to work, this week has been one full of excitement and news. Here is some of the best (and contrarian) writing that was published over the past few days. Here are a few stories and a video for you guys to read.

The first weekend edition of Om Says was well received. And while I am taking a much-needed break this weekend (and I started early), I couldn’t leave without sharing some of the stories that I found enjoyable and useful.

In the age of blogs, companies give scoops to the media outlet with the ability to instantly amplify news. But this instant amplification of the news is changing the very idea of what a scoop is, and that change alters the very nature of news.

Google launched the +1 button, a social signaling effort that at first blush seems to be all about publishers and page views. In reality it is about the future of web commerce, where Facebook is becoming even more influential, thanks to it’s near ubiquitous Like button.

After a brief hiatus, Om Says is back. In the latest edition, I look at the concept of good enough, the Praeto principle and how it applies to today’s company – regardless of its business focus — has to have a much higher metabolic rate.

It’s not really a surprise that we’re beginning to hear more and more about “incubators.” If you’ve been around the block as many times as I have, you may remember the sharp increase in such experiments about a decade ago.

The usage of term “cloud” has been hijacked for marketing purposes, thanks to indiscriminate labeling of anything and everything on the Internet. Urs Hölzle, Google’s infrastructure czar tells us what the Cloud really is and what it is supposed to do.

I wonder about the implications of the big merger announced Sunday: AT&T buying T-Mobile USA for $39 billion, of which $25 billion was in cash. I was hard-pressed to think if there were any winners apart from AT&T and T-Mobile’s parent company, Deutsche Telekom.

For environmentalist and entrepreneur Bill Liao, a round trip to San Francisco takes three months: He doesn’t fly. It takes a lot of conviction to go against convention like this, but that dedication is necessary if you truly want to have a breakthrough product.

The very fact that Google has to go through an exercise to codify a process for building managers points to the fact that the company is now focusing all its energies on its biggest challenge: overcoming the curse of size.

Foursquare released its new version 3.0 application. It is an application that moves beyond check-in, and many ways foretells the future of geo-local services. It might be time for location-aware apps to make an appearance and in the very near future start offering “suggestions.”

Steve Jobs called it magical. Fast-forward to today, and I (and about 15 million others) agree. However, if iPad, the device, is more magical, the applications (apps) for the device are anything but. Where are the apps befitting the device and its hardware capabilities?

Two and a Half Men lead character Charlie Sheen’s very public meltdown should be a cautionary tale for everyone, especially start-ups. Why? Because spoiled-star syndrome can take down and unravel companies as quickly as hit television shows. And what’s worse – it impacts others.

Oscars always remind us why we love the movies. And while not everyone gets to be Angelina Jolie or even Jesse Eisenberg, we can pretend that we are living inside a movie, thanks to the emergence of platforms and tools that turn our lives into movie-reels.

I increasingly see companies, both big and small, often focusing too much on their competitors and not focusing on being unique. And if a company spends all its energy trying to be the same as another, it has already lost the game.

The unbundling of telecom resulted in free-ing of last mile, which in tandem with rise of Internet resulted in destruction of the voice-minute economy. The Media landscape is going through similar unbundling, thanks to the Internet, which takes away controls over distribution networks.

When Jeff Jarvis wrote What Would Google Do?, the company had an aura of invincibility. Fast forward to today: thanks to Facebook, it doesn’t seem so invincible. The new social web has passed it by. So, the question is: What should Google do?

Naval Ravikant, a serial entrepreneur, and Babak Nivi, a rebel venture capitalist, have been active angel investors for a long time. In February last year they decided that it would make sense to launch AngelList, an email list that would match startups to wealthy investors.

Over the past 20 years, Silicon Valley has gone through two major seasons of change. 2011 is shaping up to be another one, thanks to a frothy investment environment and many new platforms. I am launching an email newsletter to make sense of it all.